How to open a Cypress CTB-100?
 

Hi

I was curious to see the inside of my TBC and contribute the info on what is inside if it's helpful, but my unit is so stubborn. I removed the 4 screws at the bottom, but the cover still does not come off.

I don't want to apply to much force to avoid breaking it.

Are there any hidden screws under stickers? or something else that I missed?

Force required on most Cypress.
Need to see images, all sides, of the exact unit you're working with here.

Photo in attachement.

The color is the new one blue, serial begin with 2013...
Many things point it is probably a bad unit, but I don't see any of the issues users with flawed units mentioned. (like ghosting)

Can't do the JVC menu test.

judging by the images, should I just force it? (knowing that all the 4 bottom screws are already removed)

There is no need to remove the 4 screws on the input/output ports afaik, right?

Not really. That's like closing your eyes, then claiming that you don't see anything wrong. Without a known test, you're just randomly guessing at what you see (or don't see).

That dull silver/blue unit is confirmed bad, post-2010 model.

A box has 6 sides. I need complete photos of all 6 sides.

I managed to open it after you confirmed force is required (with some technique) I had to slide it from the back(where the Inputs/outputs are), and not the front.

Sadly. Same bad chips. (photos attached, in case they could be of any help).

I checked the captured video frame by frame, captured with the TBC and without, The TBC did not seem to add any ghosting problems... ( but I might be blind...). Did you manage to check the captures I sent you? just curious to see what are the visual signs that I have missed...

If it has the bad chips, 100% it has issues. You're either not seeing it, or it's not appeared on that sample (which is unusual). But realize it will happen, randomly in videos, not just start/stop.

You've wasted money on a dodgy TBC. Return it.

You can see an example of the issues the bad ones give here. They generally seem act weird when when there is problems in the vertical sync part of an image (which is above the normal visible area and indicates where a frame/field starts) or it's non-standard like the "240p/288p" signal the menus on JVC and most other VCRs output.

slightly off-topic:
@lordsmurf is AV Toolbox AVT-1670 a viable TBC? I know it has green(old) and black(new) version, so assuming it is the green version will it be a good tbc?

Example of sold out unit
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164762136565

I know I am 10 years late to this discussion, but thanks both for bearing with me and answering my questions.

@hodgey, Thanks a lot for your input! I am aware of that thread and have checked the examples.

As I mentioned, I don't have a working remote right now to test the JVC menu. I am a looking for a way to see the flaw other than the JVC menu. + I think I read LS's mentioning some TBCs that act on the menu but still work fine for captures. (BV i think?). I know LS's mentioned it happens with cypress randomly during captures, but any idea of the frequency?

I am trying to find one of my tapes that can show the issues users reported in the DOA thread, but I can't reproduce it...

I attached some of my captures, short lossless, longer side-by-side but lossy

Possibly, but you won't find one. That's the only unit I've seen in recent years. I was aware of it, but $200 isn't worth gambling on a composite-only unit. Another factor is NTSC, as the AED-660 is similar (but with s-video), and NTSC is unusable. So a PAL-only composite-only unknown-condition (eBay "tested", ha!) unit isn't worth the $200 gamble, seeing how most PAL is SCART or s-video, and composite adapters in PAL are overall lousy.

If you can strangely find it for under $50 local in Europe, sure, go for it. But don't expect much.

I can appreciate you trying to chase down TBC alternatives, but you're repeating a path I went down years ago. You're simply not going to find a sold-new TBC that is good (all flawed EOL Cypress are what is currently available). And anything "cheap" that you see will almost always have limitations and flaws, most of which make it unusable (for videotapes, for NTSC or PAL, or at all). Thus far, anything you've looked at online is something I've already run down. Looking offline will be your only chance, but even that's unlikely, given how the units are all decades old now.